For the seniors at North Penn High School, the stress of college applications, decisions, and committing is almost over. Some have been committed since October, while others will be making the hard decision on May 1st.

I know every senior can agree that the college process was anything but easy and stress free. For many people, the brutal process is over and they can start looking forward to their future. However, there are also plenty of people who are still waiting on decisions and taking that difficult step of committing. I also know that the people who haven’t committed yet are becoming more and more stressed as the Instagram posts pile up.

For the people who’ve committed, congratulations! You took a huge step in the right direction and can enjoy your last few months here. For the people who haven’t made a decision yet, don’t stress. You still have plenty of time.

It has definitely been a hard year for all seniors, but don’t let the big decision distract you from enjoying this year. It’s not an easy choice to make. It makes sense that it takes so much time to know how the next four years of your life are going to pan out. You have to make sure it’s exactly what you want and that you will be happy where you end up. If you didn’t make it into the school you really wanted to go to, it most likely wasn’t the right choice for you. You’re going to end up where you’re supposed to be. If you have that mindset, it’s easier to take a step back and make that choice with a positive state of mind.

It doesn’t make it any easier that our generation uses social media to announce that we have made our choice. I love that I can go through and see who’s going where and comment a “congratulations!” However, if you haven’t decided yet, it’s difficult to see everyone else taking that step before you. The good thing is that the second you commit, it will make posting on Instagram that much better.

Another part that might be holding people back from making that deposit is being waitlisted. Most schools wait until around this time to send a letter saying you have to wait even longer to know if you’ve been accepted or denied. If you get waitlisted at a school you really want to go to, you have to make the decision if you want to wait and risk not getting in. Waitlist might also be a sign that maybe that’s not the school for you, but if you trust your gut feeling that you need to go there, be brave and take that risk.

There’s no one answer as to why this process is as stressful and tedious as it is, but all we can do is have a positive attitude and remember, we’re seniors! This is our last chance to take advantage of everything North Penn High School has to offer and enjoy the few months we have left with our friends.